Stone Quarry stakeholders in Baramulla protest over royalty issue
Baramulla, Sep 20: Stone quarry owners, tipper drivers, and hundreds of labourers staged a protest in Baramulla on Saturday, raising their voices against the Geology and Mining Department for not granting permission to operate their quarries.
The protesters claimed that despite repeated visits to the department, authorities are refusing to accept royalty payments, a move they allege “has opened doors to corruption.” They gathered at Jalsheeri, Baramulla, demanding an immediate resolution to their plight.
Riyaz Ahmad Nagoo, a stakeholder in the stone quarry business for over two decades, said that quarry owners are being harassed and denied their livelihoods. “The department is not accepting royalty, turning a legal business into an illegal one. This has fostered corruption, as thousands of families dependent on quarry work are forced to struggle,” he said, adding that their work is critical for ongoing developmental projects across the district.
Mushtaq Ahmad, another quarry owner, said many stakeholders inherited the business from their forefathers. “Despite our qualifications, we chose this trade over government jobs. Now, authorities are obstructing us, leaving hundreds of families, who took loans for vehicles and operations, to suffer,” he said. He also questioned why other mineral activities, such as sand and gypsum extraction involving non-locals, proceed without objection, while stone quarries are targeted.
The protesters appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and resolve the issue.
When contacted, District Mineral Officer Baramulla, Sarfaraz Ahmad, said quarry owners are required to obtain mandatory environmental clearance certificates. He said that around 65 stone quarries operate in the district, divided into 10 clusters to simplify the procedure.
“They have been asked to submit the mining plan and subsequently apply for the EC certificate. Once they complete the procedure and fulfil other formalities, we will have no issue accepting the reality,” said DMO Baramulla.
